DNA clue in bid to solve riddle over skeleton

A riddle over human remains found on wasteland is a step closer to being solved following a scientific breakthrough. Scientists have retrieved a full DNA profile from a skeleton found on derelict land off Rochdale Road in Collyhurst last year.

A riddle over human remains found on wasteland is a step closer to being solved following a scientific breakthrough.

Scientists have retrieved a full DNA profile from a skeleton found on derelict land off Rochdale Road in Collyhurst last year.

But no match has so far been found among nearly six million profiles kept on the National DNA Database nor on a DNA database of missing people.

Detectives have compiled a list of a six 'possibles' - missing men who fit other known details.

Now they are tracing their families to ask for DNA samples in the hope they can obtain a match.

A passer-by spotted the remains in March last year.

Forensic experts then painstakingly recovered an almost complete skeleton.

A post mortem examination could only say it was of a man aged between his mid 20s and mid 60s.

Police believe the body could have been there for up to three years.

A tatty fleece jacket was also retrieved along with a pair of black trousers. The trouser legs were missing – buy police believe insect activity may have caused damage to the clothing.

A check of dental records proved fruitless as there were no teeth on the lower jaw and those on the upper jaw appeared never to have been treated by a dentist.

Careful measurement of the bones enabled police to conclude the man was Caucasian.

Detectives suspect the death was not a violent one as none of the bones were broken.

Det Supt Julian Ross, who is leading the investigation, said: “Getting a full DNA profile is a very significant step in the investigation. It's something that may not have been possible several years ago. Without it, it would virtually be the end of the enquiry.”

The senior officer said obtaining the profile had proved 'difficult', adding: “It can't be done in all cases. We were fortunate we managed to do it. It depends on the age and the condition of the body.

“We've taken all the missing from home cases in Greater Manchester going back five years. We narrowed it down using their description. We are now in the process of getting familial DNA. One of the problems with that is the transient population of Greater Manchester.

“We are not treating this as a suspicious death. But we do understand the importance of getting closure. There is a family out there missing a loved one. We are doing our best re-unite them. This is a slow, detailed and painstaking investigation.”